


i'd wait forever and a day for you

by carpesoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 19:51:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5177612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpesoo/pseuds/carpesoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>chanyeol's not exactly a patient guy, but baekhyun's worth the wait.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'd wait forever and a day for you

**Author's Note:**

> a massive thank you to mimi for [this](http://imgur.com/q52ebMZ) image that inspired the fic.

chanyeol scans the restaurant and nods his head when his eyes meet with his best friend’s, kyungsoo. he stumbles over his own feet--grace is not a word one would associate with park chanyeol--but manages to not bump into anybody. he exhales a sigh of relief; crisis averted. catching his balance, he resumes making his way to his best friend, being extra careful with his two left feet.

arriving at the table, he pulls out the chair adjacent to kyungsoo. the legs scrape across the floor, echoing across the room which earns him a painful whack against his chest. “ _lift_ it,” kyungsoo scolds, shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

chanyeol quickly parks his butt on the seat, his face blushing crimson as he avoids the stares he’s attracted with his chair blunder. he steals glances at the people already seated, not recognising a single face other than the boy sitting beside him.

it had been under the ra’s advisement that each floor in their dorm organise a group dinner to get to know one another. a ‘mingle party’ he had called it, much to the horror of the building’s newest residents. so sure, sitting next to kyungsoo defeats the purpose of the ice breaker--they’ve been acquainted since kindergarten--but chanyeol feels at ease with his best friend by his side. he trusts that kyungsoo will intervene should he--and he most likely will--say or do anything inappropriate.

chanyeol has heard on many occasions that he’s not one to make favourable first impressions. he’s a ‘grower’, in more ways than one.

 

 

as the last arrival, chanyeol is nominated to start off the introductions. he slowly rises to his feet, and clears his throat. “h-hi, my name is park chanyeol. n-nice to meet you,” he stammers, bowing his head. he’s pretty sure his face matches the maroon coloured carpet of the restaurant’s floor.

“woah, your voice is so deep,” he hears someone exclaim from the other side of the table, a comment not unfamiliar to his large ears.

his confidence growing, he raises his head and stands up straight. “yeah, balls deep,” he says with a toothy grin. the entire table falls silent in an instant, eyebrows arched and mouths agape. kyungsoo’s finger’s reach out for the hem of his shirt and chanyeol feels himself being yanked back down into his chair.

well, then. at least no one will be forgetting his name anytime soon. although, chanyeol isn’t exactly sure if he should consider it a good or bad thing.

 

 

as they await their main course to be served, chatter fills the air and new friendships start to blossom. turning to face his best friend, chanyeol is surprised to discover kyungsoo deep in conversation with a young man with perfectly groomed eyebrows. oh sehun, if chanyeol recalls his name correctly. not wanting to disturb the two, he directs his attention to the vacant spot in front of him, drumming his fingers on the edge of the table.

“i’m here! sorry, i’m late. have you guys finished eating yet?” a new voice wheezes, capturing chanyeol’s attention. he looks up and in that moment, he finally understands what it means to fall in love at first sight.

informed that they’ve yet to be served their main course, the boy’s face lights up, beaming with radiance. he’s literally breathtaking, stealing the air from chanyeol’s lungs. chanyeol stares at the male, his attention completely transfixed by his soft features and fluffy blond hair.

chanyeol watches as the other picks up the menu with elegance, his delicate fingers tapping the back of the menu as he peruses the list. his eyes fall to the stranger’s mouth, observing the way the boy chews on his bottom lip as he deliberates what meal to choose.

“so what’s your name?” someone asks, interrupting the boy’s selection process. he puts down the menu and cracks a smile; a cupid’s arrow shoots directly into chanyeol’s heart.

he offers a shy wave before introducing himself, “hi, i’m byun baekhyun.” he laughs, and it’s the most wonderful sound chanyeol has ever heard.

chanyeol glances at kyungsoo and nudges him lightly with an elbow. “i just met my future husband,” he whispers discreetly to his best friend.

there’s no doubt in chanyeol’s mind that he’s just been graced with his soulmate. byun baekhyun, a name that rolls off his tongue as if he’s known it all his life. he dreams of waking up to the boy’s beautiful face, and the warmth of his body as they fall asleep together.

“i doubt it,” kyungsoo says, snapping chanyeol out of his reverie. “looks like he’s already taken.”

frowning, chanyeol looks over at baekhyun, his hand in particular. the menu no longer in sight, chanyeol finds another set of fingers in its stead. with quick shallow breaths, his gaze traces along the foreign hand to the owner’s face, kim jongin. he’s handsome, chanyeol thinks. and though he’s begrudged to admit it, jongin seems pleasant enough. his looks are on par with baekhyun’s and he manages to elicit the most stunning smiles from the other.

yes, chanyeol is unable to find any glaringly obvious faults with jongin. that is, bar one; he isn’t _chanyeol_.

unable to look away, he continues to stare at baekhyun’s face. chanyeol notes the way his eyes disappear when he smiles and the way his teeth clamp down on his lower lip when he’s deep in thought. chanyeol memorises the boy’s features and the sound of his voice. he zones out everyone with the exception of baekhyun, as if it were just the two of them in the room. he pretends that the loving looks and affectionate grins are directed to him, and only him. that is, until the image of baekhyun’s ethereal beauty is replaced with the back of jongin’s head.

“stop staring,” kyungsoo says, kicking chanyeol softly under the table. chanyeol shoots kyungsoo a look of gratitude and forces a smile. “i know it sucks that he’s already got a boyfriend but there’s plenty of--”

“--i’ll wait,” chanyeol interjects, not allowing kyungsoo to finish his sentence. he doesn’t need to hear the tired speech of how there’s plenty of other fish in the sea. he doesn’t want another fish, he wants one fish in particular; baekhyun. he sneaks a peek at the boy in question and for some unknown reason, he just knows that he’ll be worth the wait.

“chanyeol, you’re not exactly a patient person,” kyungsoo points out, his voice softer than usual. chanyeol also detects a hint of pity in his tone.

he’s right though, chanyeol _isn’t_ the most patient person, not by anyone’s standard. he has the tendency to eat uncooked ramen because he doesn’t have the patience to wait five minutes for them to boil, much to his best friend’s disapproval. a video titled ‘why does it take so [censored] long for international mail to get delivered?’ went viral amongst his former high school after he’d posted a twenty-something minute video of profanity and guttural growling that climaxed in him taking a metal baseball bat to an innocent cardboard box. needless to say, the box didn’t make it.

“i’ll wait,” he repeats with a steel resolve. for byun baekhyun, park chanyeol is willing to wait for however long it takes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“it’s been three years, chanyeol. when are you giving up?” kyungsoo asks with a sigh, placing a hand on chanyeol’s arm. chanyeol avoids his eyes, it’ll only make the words cut deeper.

he shrugs his shoulder, shaking off his best friend’s hand. “don’t.” his tone is much colder than he’d intended for it to be. observing kyungsoo’s reaction to his curt response, he adds, “i know you mean well, i just can’t right now.”

“i…” the words die in kyungsoo’s throat. he closes his mouth and instead opts for an embrace instead. chanyeol feels the shorter boy bury his face in his chest and his arms slipping around his waist.

chanyeol snakes his long arms around the boy’s small frame and squeezes him tightly. “thanks, though,” he whispers, afraid to speak any louder in case his voice cracks.

limbs still intertwined, they hear a knock on the door before it swings open, footsteps approaching them. “oh, am i interrupting something?”

chanyeol releases kyungsoo immediately and rubs the back of his neck. “b-baekhyun, y-you’re early.”

“so i _was_ interrupting something?” baekhyun asks, removing his shoes and tossing them haphazardly into the corner. his pitch is slightly higher than usual, could it be a tinge of jealousy that chanyeol can hear in his voice?

“no, i was just leaving,” kyungsoo announces, picking up his jacket before heading towards the open door. he lingers in the doorway for a brief moment, giving chanyeol a look of ‘stop torturing yourself’ before closing the door behind him.

“you haven’t answer my question,” baekhyun says, jumping onto the couch and seizing his favourite fluffy cushion.

“what question?”

“was i disturbing the two of you?” he asks again, caressing the cushion as he rests his chin on top of it. his lips are pursed into a pout and the image reminds chanyeol of a puppy; cute and adorable.

“no, not really,” chanyeol responds, taking a seat beside the boy. he grabs his own pillow between his arms, though he’d much rather it be baekhyun in his arms instead.

“is kyungsoo still going out with sehun?” baekhyun enquires inquisitively. he throws the pillow aside and latches onto chanyeol’s arm, pressing his cheek against it.

“y-yup.” chanyeol tries to steady his breathing and prays that baekhyun is unable to hear the sound of his heart pounding in his chest.

“i see.”

it could be wishful thinking on his part, but chanyeol could’ve sworn he saw a smile creeping on baekhyun’s face. not wanting to get his hopes up, he reminds himself that he and baekhyun are just friends. “so, what did you bring this time?”

baekhyun lets go of his grip and crawls over to his bag. after a brief moment of rummaging through it, he slides over to the television unit, and pops in a disc into the player. “(500) days of summer.”

chanyeol’s not seen it before, but he’s pretty certain it’s going to be a chick flick. movie night with baekhyun almost always features a lengthy cheesy romantic cliche of some sort. it’s not chanyeol’s cup of tea but he couldn’t care less about what they watch; he just appreciates the time he gets to spend with baekhyun.

 

 

halfway through the movie, chanyeol feels something damp on his shoulder. glancing over, he realises that baekhyun eyes are puffy and red. alarmed, he pauses the dvd and cradles the other boy’s face, wiping away a tear trickling down his face. “what’s wrong?”

baekhyun shakes his head and sniffles quietly. “i just, it just hits a little close to home, is all.”

oh. the film reminds baekhyun of his ex; kim jongin.

chanyeol can still recall the night baekhyun showed up at his shared apartment with kyungsoo, inconsolable. “he broke up with me!” he had wailed, choking back sobs. it had pained chanyeol to see baekhyun in that state over someone clearly unworthy of his love.

it had happened approximately one year ago, and it was the first time he’d witnessed baekhyun crying, but it hadn’t been the last. and for every single tear that baekhyun had shed since, chanyeol’s own heart wept a thousand times more.

“chanyeol-ah?” baekhyun calls out his name, interrupting chanyeol’s train of thoughts.

“hmm?”

“do you think anyone will ever fall in love with me again?”

baekhyun sounds so despondent, the twinkle in his eyes no longer present. chanyeol wants nothing more than for the boy’s sparkle to return. summoning all the courage in his body, he speaks the words he’s been holding back for the past three years, "i…” he trails off, unable to follow through.

“you…?”

chanyeol blurts the first thing that pops into his head, “people fall in love in mysterious ways.”

“why are you quoting ed sheeran’s ‘thinking out loud’ to me?” baekhyun asks with an arched eyebrow.

chanyeol closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "i will not let anything take away what's standing in front of me. every breath, every hour has come to--"

"isn't that 'a thousand years' by christina perri?"

"when i look into your eyes, it's like watching the night--"

"jason mraz."

"i'm jealous of the rain that falls upon your skin. it's closer than my hands have been."

"you know that song's about someone who's lost the one they love, right? are you trying to make me feel worse?"

shit.

surprised by baekhyun’s knowledge of song lyrics, chanyeol clearly did not give him nearly as much credit as he deserved. this only makes chanyeol love baekhyun that much more, even if the latter was spoiling the moment. but let’s face it, chanyeol really shouldn’t have been ripping off songs in the first place.

"okay, how about this? _i_ love you, byun baekhyun. i've loved you since the day i laid eyes on you during that introductory dinner our freshman year. i loved you when you were in love with someone else. i loved you when your heart was broken and you told me you no longer believed in love. i want to show you how you deserved to be loved and i want to spend the rest of my life loving you. and even if you never return my love, i will keep loving--”

chanyeol’s heartfelt confession is cut off by a pair of lips crashing into his own. baekhyun pushes himself onto chanyeol, climbing on top of him. hands wander, mouths parted. kissing baekhyun is more magical than chanyeol could’ve ever imagined, greatly exceeding all his expectations.

“baekhyun,” he breathes, capturing the other’s tongue and delving deeper into his mouth. he needs more; it’s not enough. not wanting to break contact, chanyeol presses harder; hungry and lustful. but instead of the passion being returned, he feels baekhyun pulling away, ending the kiss.

“baekhyun?” chanyeol calls out his name, eyes widened in confusion, his lips already missing the other’s.

“i-i need to go,” baekhyun says, his voice trembling. he quickly gathers his belongings, retrieving the dvd, throwing on his jacket and shoes and is out the door before chanyeol can fully process what just happened.

 

 

chanyeol is no stranger to heartbreak, not when he’s had to endure an unrequited love for over three years. but it’s different this time; it’s the worst pain chanyeol has ever experienced. clutching his heart, he tries to stop replaying the events of what happened over and over in his mind. it’s keeping him awake--tossing and turning--until finally, he falls asleep, hours later than usual. the taste of baekhyun still lingers on his tongue, along with the bitter saltiness of his tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

chanyeol catches his best friend waving an arm in the air to capture his attention. “over here,” he calls, beckoning the male to hurry over.

making his way, chanyeol loses his balance and almost falls to the ground. regaining his balance, he carefully walks over to his best friend, making sure to avoid any potential obstacles. he _lifts_ the chair and takes a seat beside kyungsoo.

“can you believe it’s been four years since we last sat here, all together?” someone asks, the wave of nostalgia flooding the table.

chanyeol really can’t. how has so much time passed in the blink of an eye? he looks around the table and smiles at all the familiar faces he used to encounter on a daily basis. he and kyungsoo are about to graduate, along with the rest of their former dorm mates.

about to start a conversation with his best friend, chanyeol decides against it; not when his face is currently attached to sehun’s. with no one to talk to, he taps the table with his fingers to keep himself entertained.

“i’m here! sorry, i’m late. have you guys finished eating yet?” a new voice appears; baekhyun’s. he sighs in relief when he notices the waiters have just begun to serve the entrees. he quickly takes a seat in the last available chair and tries to catch his breath.

chanyeol experiences an overwhelming feeling of deja vu. he glances at baekhyun, his breath hitches when their eyes meet. baekhyun is still as beautiful as ever, a sight chanyeol will never grow tired of seeing. his gaze falls onto the baekhyun’s hand--and much like it had been four years ago--it’s currently holding another’s. only this time, the other hand belongs to chanyeol.

 

 

as they wait for dessert to be served, chanyeol whispers quietly into kyungsoo’s ear, careful not to be heard by the man sitting adjacent to him, “i told you i was going to marry him.” he pats his breast pocket and kyungsoo shoots him a knowing smile. his best friend had accompanied him the week before to assist him in picking out a ring for his boyfriend--or dare he jinx it--future fiance?

“and it only took you four years,” kyungsoo teases chanyeol, a smug face plastered on his face. he successfully evades chanyeol’s jab attack, flinging himself into sehun’s arms as he does so. chanyeol reckons his best friend must moonlight as a ninja or something; kid’s got mad skills.

deeming any additional attacks futile, chanyeol reaches out for baekhyun’s hand instead, weaving his larger fingers between his boyfriend’s contrasting slender ones. he squeezes baekhyun’s hand gently, feeling the warmth from the other male’s skin seeping into his own. “and i would’ve waited four years more.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> songs mentioned (in the order they appear):  
> thinking out loud - ed sheeran  
> a thousand years - christina perri  
> i won't give up - jason mraz  
> jealous - labrinth  
>  ~~(title of the fic: everybody in love - jls)~~
> 
>  
> 
> _i think this is my first complete main!baekyeol fic, whuuuut?_


End file.
